Antony Loewenstein

El sector de defensa de Israel utiliza los territorios palestinos ocupados como campo de pruebas de armamento y tecnología de vigilancia que luego exporta por todo el mundo. Durante más de cincuenta años, la ocupación de Cisjordania y Gaza ha proporcionado al Estado israelí una experiencia inestimable en el control de una población no deseada, que le ha permitido perfeccionar cada vez más la arquitectura del control y exportar sus conocimientos «probados en combate». El periodista Antony Loewenstein expone este asunto, en gran medida oculto, en una investigación global a partir de documentos secretos, entrevistas y reportajes sobre el terreno. En su libro revela cómo Palestina se ha convertido en el laboratorio perfecto para la industria militar y tecnológica israelí: vigilancia, encarcelamiento indefinido y brutalidad; así como las herramientas de alta tecnología que impulsan la «nación startup», desde el software Pegasus que hackeó los teléfonos de Jeff Bezos y Jamal Khashoggi, las armas vendidas al ejército de Birmania que ha asesinado a miles de rohinyás y los drones utilizados por la Unión Europea para vigilar a los refugiados en el Mediterráneo. Israel se ha convertido en líder mundial en tecnología de espionaje y material de defensa que alimenta los conflictos más brutales del planeta.… (plus d'informations)

Reading anything related to the taboos like Middle East, Balkans or Eastern Europe contested areas is always tricky because authors are either calm but completely biased (majority of official works on the topics that follow standard propaganda how everyone outside the Western Club is bad, bad, bad) or fully emotional and - again you guessed it right - completely biased (works of people that are on the ground, doing investigations, coming face to face with the human sufferings and thus directly with the very destruction and misery). Very rarely will there be a work that is not biased and reasons are multitude - all these areas have very difficult histories, people who all suffer from either messianic and/or martyr complexes and relive their past every day (and I am talking past like in beginning in The Beginning (of there be Light) not like 40 years ago), with everything that entails. Whoever writes book like that will be vilified by all parties and thus question is if the book like that would ever be published.

This book belongs to the emotional group. For a group whose targeted public is West (I doubt Palestinians are reading it or anybody in African or Asian trouble-spots) author missed a very good opportunity to show how mechanisms similar to those used in Israel for state security purposes are slowly, but steadily, getting implemented in the West itself. Because let us be honest - in current economical situation (suicidal economic moves justified with everything, from "cows release pollutants" to "we need to sacrifice all we have in our no-war efforts because we so virtuous") I doubt anyone but academia and maybe NGO's (which are special breed on their own and usually not so NG, more undercover G) will even take interest (maybe with addition of inquisitive student of social studies).

What could bring the subject to the heart of westerners is to explain how biological passports and bio-metric data is becoming part of their every day life (and unfortunately everyone elses). How crazies, currently dominant politically (I truly do not know how to call them, sorry), aka activists (following their own quasi-religious systems), are trying to enforce almost complete ban of movement (15 minute city plans), with all the enforcement details - from video monitoring, collecting data on people about their habits, movements, ways of movement, purchases and consumption (that somehow get converted into effect on the environment) to creating systems for grading people used for penalizing or rewarding them (bizarre gamification approach). Depending on the scores, people will have greatly or just limited access to everyday items and services by applying ridiculous prices to them. Worst of all everyone ends up in fully sound/video/media-proof propaganda bubbles in which anything and everything can be said about the adversaries of the current thing - to the level of utter dehumanization.

Also let us not forget prison like lock-downs, blocking financial means to people that revolt, police (including in some cases SWAT teams and local military/territorial forces) cracking on any protest (of course those of "unclean" ones) with very much force and authority that would make SA or UK police from the stormy 1960/70's say "oy, not bad, crack 'im", monitoring of social media, creation of isolation camps for The Others, the non-compliant ones, in order to "help them" or keep "people safe from them" (Ozzies and Canucks truly outdid themselves in these activities) and ubiquitous and ever present applications that need to be on persons mobile phone (oh, pinky promise, we wont use your personal data). And do I need to mention media figures, defecating the ether with disgusting talks about those not following rules set to them by powers-to-be. And to say this is different from so vilified Chinese system? Hah!

This is the actual application of technologies author talks about. Not drones, not any weapons - this is for the those outside the border, those that are kept outside media bubble, unknowns - but technology for complete control and monitoring, collection of everything that can be used for profiling - and not just by race, but basically by social structure that will firmly be set in a world that forgets nothing. We are very close to era where one will be told what careers are available, if any, based off this data profile, trust me.

If this was mentioned in any way, I would give book five stars. But unfortunately author only talks about implementation of these technologies up to the border with the West (for some reason Israeli technology is superior because Chinese is cheap knock-off? Then why all that talk about Chinese social control and policing if it is that inefficient and "cheap"?) and then subject is moved to how those baddies use it (in relation to non-western-democracy countries). I suppose that mentioning Israel working with some very powerful in-house names from Europe and US (and here not just the big boys like Lockheed Martin) and governments that pride themselves to be liberal [but are not so even when it comes to their own populace, as they showed with utter contempt last few years] would not make this book marketable or publishable.

Problem is not when those-naughty-authoritarian-states use this type of technology but when so-called free ones do. This is what needs to scare people, slow creep of system in which no-one can redeem itself in. New very, very dark age.

Author shows horrendous suffering of people under very inhumane, dehumanized, approach (impersonal interaction automated systems, profiling and censure systems, insidious surveillance systems, private small armies hired to keep the order, remote weaponry to name just the few technologies used) but all of this fails to make an effect, especially since the situation and all information about it - especially regarding Israeli Palestinian relations - is unchanged since at least early 1970's to those who read anything on the subject (which unfortunately is not major public). Just check the excellent documentary and book Gatekeepers.

What I find weird is that very mechanism of oppression of non-privileged [that author talks about], globalism, is seen by author as a possibility of solving the problem. Unfortunately globalism is just a template maker under a single power, where every nation is made look-a-like and loses its voice to say anything, because of such economical dependency that single choke point disables any opposition. Only free nations, free to act politically in international arena, are those that can do something. Otherwise they are just members of the herd staying within their own pens and obeying commands from the outside.

And at the end one remark on topic on which I do not agree with. I do not agree with author when it comes to accepting never ending waves of immigration through illegal channels and routes. I understand what these people are going through but I also can guarantee that together with true victims of war and destruction. lots of economic migration also comes in, people who would never be allowed to leave war areas, males between 20 and 50 years old and weirdly all carrying sufficient batteries and communication devices (mobile phones) with which some very complex financial operations are executed and movements coordinated as they go through various countries on their travel to whatever is their destination. I dont say they have dark intentions (although crime is ever present) but these people are not migrating because they are under pressure, they are looking for better places to live and thrive (like everyone wants to). I understand that people want to go to better places, for economical reasons we would all like to go to Sweden or Canada and be accepted the moment we touch ground. But no sane country will ever allow this and this is not nationalism but mere survivalism. At the time when economy is not at all good, all needs of the locals are not taken care of, and abysmally uncapable politicians are looking for excuses to go to war to make their populace busy with their misery, import of large number of people from unknown places is nothing but huge destabilizing act. It is popular to say that governments are then guilty for negative opinions about migrants, but reasons are multiple. From inability or in some cases unwillingness to respect the host accepting migrants (all again triggered by very messy mass camps where they are placed which is not what migrants usually expect so resentment builds and explodes in public areas) to conflict between locals and migrants on economic issues and because of ever present getthoization, forming of isolated and closed migrant societies. All of this was always present with immigration, and always will be, but it is unfair to only critique host nations, especially in a very tense economic situation (Greece for example defaulted so many times I dont think it would be allowed to play Monopoly) that lasts almost 20 years (+ conflicts, wars, terrorism etc etc). To expect that one state is capable to solve it is ridiculous. To expect that union like EU solutions of having most exposed border countries to carry the burden [while the rest are protected with buffers of these border states] is even more ridiculous.

Interesting book but wont be able to make Westerners see themselves endangered by the tools and systems author describes, so I question if desired effect is achieved. Fom the perspective of military industrial complex and that old saying of never-let-the-good crisis-go-to-waste it is solid 4 stars.… (plus d'informations)

Anthony Loewenstein takes a close examination of the war on drugs all across the globe, visiting numerous countries and conducting interviews with people on all sides of the issues in their home country. He started his search in Honduras, which he characterizes as having become one of the most dangerous places in the world, where climate changes and violence done by the U.S. backed military has become increasingly brutal and lawless, as well as by the drug cartels, leaving many feeling there is little option but to flee.
He moved on to Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, which has become a way-station for drugs being smuggled from South America to Europe. Here he begins to examine the link between drug marketing and terrorism. There is increasing drug use in this country, and across Africa, he finds, with little in the way of treatment for addiction.
In the Philippines, the author looks back at the islands' history, including occupation by the U.S. in the 1880's, up through the reign of a dictator who "unleashed a campaign against the destitute" while leaving the rich drug leaders untouched. I learned that a drug called "shabu", a mixture of cocaine and caffeine is the drug-of-choice for many.
In the U.S. the author, who is largely in favor of legalization with management and regulation, finds that in Colorado, following legalization of marijuana, more people are hospitalized and using the E.R. due to drug issues, and mental health issues related to cannibals use are on the increase. The Just Say No campaign has been an enormous failure, he found, as has mandatory minimum sentencing, filling prisons with nonviolent drug users or those dealing with addictions.
The author also visited England and Australia, where he once again found huge failures in the war against drugs, and increasing social crisis. Through all these countries, the author interviewed drug users, leaders in the drug war, politicians, and those advocating for change. In certain locales he found some new and more hopeful policies and practices in this on-going battle to not necessarily end the misuse of drugs, but to find ways to assist those who are desperate for different approaches, to use of "harm minimization" strategies. He explores the legitimate use of certain drugs for treatment of varying physical and mental illnesses, legalization and regulation of all drugs, medically supervised injection centers, and expanded treatment for those seeking to escape addiction. I found this book to be very well researched, and the author to be quite knowledgeable of his subject.
I received a copy of this book from Library Thing through their Early Reviewers program.… (plus d'informations)

Great book on the failed war on drugs beginning from it's racist roots, continuing onto it's militaristic tactics, tyrannical and detrimental effects on the public at large. Time to end the madness! The threat of drug policy is more dangerous than the threat from drugs themselves. It is the war on drugs itself that has spawned the cartels and our government has been involved with drug dealing for a long time. I am a recovered addict and ironically believe all drugs should be legal! I also believe a "free" people should be allowed to put in their bodies whatever they like. Evidence shows that drug use has plummeted where they have been legalized. The human and financial cost of the war on drugs is too much, not to mention the corruption of the governments involved, including our own. This books tells the story!… (plus d'informations)